Editorial
Iraq tragedy
We condole the deaths
We are shocked at the death of almost a thousand Iraqi citizens in one of the most tragic, unfortunate and horrifying accidents that have taken place in Baghdad in recent times. This practically meant the single biggest loss of Iraqi life since the US-led invasion in 2003. Around a million Shias had converged on their way to Kadhimiya shrine to mark the martyrdom of the 8th century religious figure Imam Musa al-Kadhim. But reports of a mortar attack that killed several people triggered widespread chaos among those on a bridge on the river Tigris. The intensity of panic only exacerbated when rumours of possible suicide bombers spread like wild fire among the pilgrims. When the iron railings of the bride gave way, many jumped into the river and drowned, many were crushed, mostly women and children. The images of hospital corridors lined with bodies, as well as on the pavements outside, grief-stricken relatives lifting the covers looking for their loved ones, grieving relatives mourning over the dead bodies -- will all haunt not just the Iraqis, but the world too for quite some time to come. We express our deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and those who were crippled in the stampede to be barely existing on the margins of life. This tragic incident is, however, symptomatic of the political volatility in Iraq. It is also indicative of the vulnerable psyche of the ordinary Iraqi citizens, who have almost regularly seen eruptions of violence, in one form or another, with a deep sense of insecurity becoming almost a mental fixation with them. In fact, it wasn't surprising to see them react in such a nervous way since there have been attacks on religious gatherings in the past. The gnawing fear that they have been living in only found expression on Wednesday. Now, our immediate hope is that the incident will not fuel any violence in the country and that adequate surveillance and precautionary measures will precede the staging of any future religious convergence.
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